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– Ah, brevity. My old friend. Nick Chubb took down a UGA record that I thought I would never see fall. As Georgia secured it’s legacy as tailback U (shout out to the domination by Todd Gurley yesterday), I thought that the sheer number of great backs would keep one from breaking this mark. Hell, even if one stood out from the pack, injury bugs seem to congregate in the Georgia running back meeting room, but Nick Chubb laughed at my doubts and reeled off a record number of 100 yard rushing games. Good for him, good for Georgia, good for the line.

The Bad:

– HOPE YOU BROUGHT A LUNCH. Look, we knew coming into the season that the quarterback situation was…less than ideal. Anytime you have to bring in a transfer, that means that things have gone sideways in recruiting. For Georgia, it’s was a good problem, as established starters did not look to be disrupted from under center, but bad because it is harder to bring guys in just to sit behind a Stafford or a Murray. The offense did a great job the past two weeks of accentuating the strengths of Lambert, but those were for naught in a rainy, windy day. Weak arm exposed and the best way to attack Bama rendered moot (stretch the safeties, challenge downfield; see the two early throws to Mitchell), the wheels came of the passing attack, and the foundation for our entire offensive gameplan Saturday.

– My biggest quarterbacking issue? Feeding the controversy by ever turning to Ramsey. There’s a very good reason that this young man has not succeeded in taking this job the past two summers. Now it’s on film. I’m as anti-recruiting news as you get, but the quarterback play across the board was so bad, I looked to see how Eason did in the rain. He did awesome, since I know you’re wondering.

– Passing game wasn’t working, but neither was the running game. We established that this was the best front 7 that UGA will play all year, and hoped that a balanced attack would open things up. While there were some good runs (no defense can be right 100% of the time), I would have liked to see more consistency and variety in the play calling. It has to be more than “Chubb inside, Michel outside” to catch a defense that good off guard.

– COACH PRUITT SPIN ZONE.

– I know intellectually he’s not wrong, but man oh man was that hard to watch. In conditions like that, Bama played the PERFECT game against this defense, taking advantage of tendencies and knowing this signal caller inside and out. Kiffin (who should have TWO jobs in Miami to choose from) did a masterful job of exploiting the cover 3 behind the zone blitzes, and making the secondary pay when they started to cheat based on those throws.

– Derrick Henry had the exact game that Alabama needed him to; own the clock, no negative plays and keep the pressure off Jacob Coker. Check, check, and by god check. Henry’s running from the second quarter on set the tempo, and the offensive line was MASTERFUL in handling the youth up front for Georgia.

The Ugly:

– I’m legitimately not emotionally ready to talk about it. Special teams play is LITERALLY a weekly punchline on the podcast, and the turning point from Saturday was the blocked punt. Turning point on AND off the field, to be honest. Please note the misspelling of PUNT.

Good news, all this bourbon will render any memory after the blocked point hazy at best. So there’s that. #GoDawgs

– I mean, can we lump from the 2nd quarter on into the ugly column? It’s my blog and I get to choose? TO THE UGLY COLUMN YOU GO GAME.

I’m not as sky as falling as Jason, but I’m certainly not as confident as Andrew. The line I’ve quoted ad nauseam since coming here rings true: winning hides the problems, losing magnifies them, but the problems are always there.

And boy, does this team have problems. Am I glad we had them exposed in October and not November? Sure, I guess. All the goals for this team are still on the table, and there’s a lot of football to play and blah blah blah. I know these things, I know this sport. I know that these players and coaches will keep fighting just as I know the other shoe is going to drop on my Falcons some time soon. But there’s a wide gulf between what I know and how I feel, and I can think of just one way to bridge the two.

Go Dawgs.

Love this? Hate it? Think I’m an idiot? Don’t just curse at me under your breath, head to the Dude You Podcast iTunes page, and leave a 5-star review to make sure I know it, and have your voice heard on the air.Follow me at @dpalm66.

I don’t have it in me for a ranty start to this week’s picks. I usually write this after the UGA game, but whiskey had other ideas, and I’m still emotionally compromised. Don’t worry, you won’t be hearing sad DPalm on tomorrow’s DudeYouPodcast, and for good reason:

THIS is from last week, when the Ravens lost to the Bengals, but from it you should learn three things: 1. Steve Smith is retiring because he wants to, not because of anything anyone else has done. 2. The undersized professional athlete remains the person you want these problems with least in the world. 3. You CAN sustain a career based solely on hate.

Jets (-2.5) over Dolphins

Yeah, after the events of yesterday, there was no way I was going to get up in time to pick this game early. That said, this is where I annually remind England that us sending sub-par football across the pond is our extended FU for taxation without representation, and play Real American real loud. But, Hulk Hogan ruined that for all of us, and this tweet captures the actuality of the export game better than I could.

#PrayForJoePhilbin

I’d never bring a questionable head coach to London. Rumor has it that Zombie Mike Smith stalks the sidelines waiting to use his timeouts.

Yeah, the Colts beat the hell out of the AFC South with Curtis Painter under center, so Hasselbeck should be fine. Remember Curtis Painter? That was a weird year.

Bills (-6) over Giants

I’ll regret this pick. I already know it.

Panthers (-3) over Buccaneers

Look to your left. Now look to your right. Congratulations, the three of you are more talented than the receiving corps on Carolina. And they’re STILL gonna run Tampa Bay out of their own building. Cam’s performance so far has been the most impressive thing to me this young NFL season.

Eagles (-3) over Washington Professional Football Team

I’m not sure how much I believe in Chip Kelly, beause even in the win last week, the offense remained underwhelming. But I know I believe in Kirk Cousins less.

Raiders (-3) over Bears

John Fox can’t win for losing. He got run out of Carolina for losing with Jimmy Clausen under center, endured a year of Tebow only to be rewarded with Peyton Manning, and made his way to coach Chicago, with the aim to rescue Jay Culter’s career. Now Cutler went down, who’s under center? JIMMY. BLEEPING. CLAUSEN.

#PrayForJohnFox

(I do not care that Cutler is playing today, I’ve had that joke in my head for a week. Chicago is still going to lose, and the joke was fun and funny.)

Falcons (-5) over Texans

BRING IT ON YOU TRY HARD WANNA BE! You can hear more of my completely rational JJ Watt hate HERE.

You can’t be 16-0 without being 4-0.

Bengals (-3.5) over Chiefs

Can we all agree that Kansas City and Detroit don’t need to be on prime time anymore this year? Excellent.

Browns (+6) over Chargers

*whispers* I think Phillip Rivers might be done. Don’t tell anyone.

Green Bay (-9) over Niners

Remember when these two teams were evenly matched, but Kaep would go nuts and end up blowing out Green Bay? Seems like a long time ago right? Not to Rodgers. He’s going to crucify San Fran today.

Cardinals (-8) over Rams

God, I have to keep picking the Cards until Carson Palmer explodes and blows a pick for me, don’t I?

Broncos (-7) over Vikings

IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE BOTH QUARTERBACKS HAVE LAUGHABLE ARM STRENGTH! But, one of them is Peyton Manning, putting in some of the most impressive work of his career with a passing arm weaker than the average seventh grade back up quarterback.

Cowboys (+3) over Saints

Serious advice: Vegas overrating the Saints is an annual tradition, but make money while you can, because soon even Vegas will realize they suck.

Seahawks (-9.5) over Lions

WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT DETROIT IN PRIMETIME?

Whatever. I bounced back from a horrific Week 2 to go above .500 for the season. Let’s win some fake money together. Enjoy the games.

Last Week: 12-4-0

This Week: 0-0-1

Season: 24-23-1

Love this? Hate it? Think I’m an idiot? Don’t just curse at me under your breath, head to theDude You Podcast iTunes page, and leave a 5-star review to make sure I know it, and have your voice heard on the air.

I like to think I’m the type of person who welcomes a degree of change in his life. I went about as far from home as possible for college, I changed majors three times at Columbia, I’ve changed careers twice before 30, and I moved to Philadelphia with my girlfriend two years ago after being together only 10 months. This week’s blog, I find myself continuing that pattern of embracing one change, while taking a deeply principled stance against another. Welcome to the inaugural edition of the NFL picks on Sunday morning instead of Friday afternoon. Both of you who read this weekly (hey mom and dad!), I apologize for the disruption, but it’s a needed move to lighten my work load during the work week and so that the #freemoney doesn’t get lost in the wave of game day posts Friday and Saturday.

This would be me embracing change.What follows is an example of me staunchly resisting change.

Moving the extra point back this season is the picture of needless tampering and I’m tired of it. I’ve heard all the reasoning and all of it is 1000% unadulterated crap. Things you may have heard: “It needed changing.” “The game is more exciting now.” “The kicks were too easy.”

It’s important you recognize that these are lies. They changed this for the sake for change, and there is NO legitimate reason. Look at those specious reasons. LOOK AT THEM. What’s the old axiom? If it ain’t broke, make sure you tinker so that casual passerby thinks that you fixed something.

FUN WITH STATS: Kirk Cousins has thrown as many interceptions as RG3 (23) in 45.5% as many attempts. Yet Griffin is described as washed, while Cousins is said to have potential. I wonder what the real reason for the difference in perception of these two is. Huh.

Falcons (-2) over Cowboys

Julio and company versus the walking wounded in Jerryworld? To coin a phrase, “GETCHA POPCORN READY!”

Can’t be 16-0 without being 3-0.

Colts (-3.5) over Titans

The Colts have made their bones as a franchise by feasting on the assorted carcasses of the rest of this putrid division. Now, the Colts have a quarterback with a great propensity for turning the ball over, a lame-duck coach who hates the GM and a GM that is sick of the coach. And they’re STILL gonna win this garbage collection of teams.

Raiders (+3.5) over Browns

Thumbing your nose at young Jonathan Football Cleveland coaching staff? Well, that’s what you get for putting John Defilippo on the payroll. Prepare to get rolled over by the Derek Carr machine (this is not likely, please don’t gamble on this game).

Bengals (+3) over Ravens

Losing Suggs has hurt this defense a lot more than they’re letting on. Something has to give and it will be the Ravens defense, over and over and over again.

Patriots (-14) over Jaguars

Welcome to the largest line of the 2015 season. *whispers* And it’s not high enough.

Panthers (-10) over Saints

Damn impressed with how Cam and company have acquitted themselves with the football equivalent of the French Army as their receiving corps. No Brees equals HUGE problems for a Saints team looking for win number one.

FUN WITH STATS PART DEUX: This is the first time both McCown boys have started on an NFL Sunday since 2007. This stat provided by momma McCown.

Jets (-2.5) over Eagles

Hahahahahahahahaha. SHIT WAS ALL GOOD JUST A YEAR AGO CHIP.

Hashtag the way we were.

Texans (-7) over Buccaneers

DON’T CARE.

Chargers (+1) over Vikings

Wait, so maybe sitting a year for beating the hell out of your kid ISN’T conducive to still being a top tier back? GO ON… Also, I’m not sure how great AD is running out of the gun, as he’s spent his ENTIRE life running behind a fullback, and this whole experiment might be a bad idea.

I cannot believe I’m buying into the Carson Palmer nonsense. They should just bench him now, and wrap him in bubble wrap until the playoffs. Basically, his knee is a pinata, and someone is getting that sweet, sweet knee candy sooner or later.

Bills (+3) over Dolphins

Rex may not have the offense he wants quite yet, but I bet that his team keeps it close in Miami this week.

Seahawks (-15) over Bears

NEW HIGHEST LINE! Wait, wait, wait, wait. So not only is it Seattle’s home opener, but they’re hosting the Bears. Not only are they hosting the Bears, but Jimmy Clausen is starting. Not only is Jimmy Clausen starting, but Kam Chancellor is back to feast on some horrific quarterbacking.

Broncos (-3) over Lions

Lego neck and noodle arm notwithstading, I’m not ready to keep picking against Peyton at night. Not yet.

Packers (EVEN) over Chiefs

I think Bovada has this even due to the Eddie Lacy uncertainty. Never one to look #freemoney in the mouth, I’ll take the home team.

I survived Baton Rouge and New Orleans last week. I’ll survive a horrific week 2 of picks.

Last Week: 4-12-0

This Week: 1-0

Season: 12-19-1

Love this? Hate it? Think I’m an idiot? Don’t just curse at me under your breath, head to theDude You Podcast iTunes page, and leave a 5-star review to make sure I know it, and have your voice heard on the air.

As promised, here’s the vine of a soon to be second stringer for Auburn.

Love this? Hate it? Think I’m an idiot? Don’t just curse at me under your breath, head to the Dude You Podcast iTunes page, and leave a 5-star review to make sure I know it, and have your voice heard on the air.Follow me at @dpalm66.